International Trips

Code

JGSC007

Destination

Category

International Trips

Duration

7 days 6 nights

Package

Philippines

CUSTOM PRIVATE CHARTER ONLY

We first explored Palawan in 1995, Caveman researched and found an island named Coron that is the headquarters island of the Tagbanua Indigenous people. This island is home to spectacular karstic limestone with a chain of lakes between hidden between pincushion peaks forming a rift valley. Beach camping is spectacular, with the Tagbanua sweeping the sand every morning in a traditional ritual centuries old, If tents aren’t you preference, stay in a traditional Tagbanua thatched roof lodge.

From Coron we fly to Puerto Princesa, the Ecotourism Capital of the Philippines, Dolphin watching from a banca almost guarantees sightings, and the eight kilometer Underground River is the World’s longest sea cave. In season you can snorkel with whale sharks, kayak spectacular coastlines and enjoy a variety of awesome restaurants.

Coron and Puerto Princesa form the core of our Philippines trips, but with 7,000 islands we have many great locations great locations for your personally designed trips.

NOTE: These custom trips are one to two weeks. All journeys start with a personal consultation including itinerary and interests. Price by Quote.

Vietnam

HALONG BAY- Our first Franchise, est. May, 1990 –

As always, we were the first sea kayaking company in Vietnam. John first explored Halong Bay in 1992. Unfortunately, since 2000, Halong Bay is an open sewer thanks to the Halong City “People’s” Committee and the draconian demands for all Halong boats to overnight in the small Titop Bay. Imagine thousands of tourists a night dumping (literally) untreated sewage directly into the small anchorage. Our franchise SeaCanoe Vietnam is very creative at avoiding the problems of Titop Bay.

Coung and Bing got creative and we now run trips from Haiphong, where the boats are free to go where they please. On shorter trips we can camp out, and stay in quaint bungalow resorts right on the water. John’s favorite is a “Grand Circle” trip from Haiphong across the outer regions of Halong’s magic limestone – to pristine locations where all you will see are the local fishermen.

Cuong, our lead guide is regarded as “father” by staff from other companies. The boatman on an exploration in 1995, Cuong decided to follow John and his friend into a fiord. His technical kayaking skills are superb, and Cuong is the best naturalist in Halong Bay. Binh, our other regular guide, is an avid kayaker and knows Halong’s nature as well as Cuong. Solo or together, Coung and Binh are by far the best guides in Halong Bay.

NOTE: These custom trips are one to two weeks. All journeys start with a personal consultation including itinerary and interests. Price by Quote.

Fiji

CUSTOM PRIVATE CHARTER ONLY

Fiji was our first International trip outside of Hawai’i. Taveuni is our favorite island. The coastline from Lavena to Salialevu is absolute Heaven – thick unbroken jungle fronted with sand beaches and coral reefs with unlimited visibility. Something between 52 and 56 waterfalls are seen from kayaks – but we’ve never had a trip agree on the same count. Taveuni has a variety of lodging from Lavena Lodge – right in the traditional village at N$10 – to over 20 bungalow resorts and hotels on the North coast – and spectacular Laucala Island Resort due East of Taveuni – billed as the World’s most exclusive resort, including its own international airport.

Colonial-style Suva is our favorite South Pacific City, but Nadi is the resort capital. Denaru Island has eight 5-star resorts just a short trip from Nadi International Airport. Fiji, our favorite South Pacific archipelago, has enough variety to cover every wish. When I first went to Lavena – at the end of a dirt road not even on the topo map, I saw a ome-man outrigger in the reef break. The outrigger gracefully rose up the wave face and over the cresting wave break. It was Tino, the chief’s son. Tino became our lead guide and he knows the coast as well as anybody. Salele, his sidekick, was our second guide. Together they are Melanesia’s finest – it just doesn’t get any better.

Frank Bamford of Bamford Associates in Auckland was sponsored by the New Zealand government to teach the Lavena kayakers about their nature – and Tino and Salele now know every bird and bush in Taveuni’s rich, waterfall filled pristine back side. In 2008 Tino, now village headman, and Salele, now manager of the Lavena Kayak and Coastal Walk, won the Tourism For Tomorrow award on their own. If there is a better Nature experience in Melanesia, we don’t know about it.

Even their day trip – the Lavena Kayak and Coastal Walk is a “Don’t Miss” activity if you find yourself on Taveuni, Fiji’s Magic “Garden Island”.

If you’ve got the moolah be sure to stay at Andrew Thomson’s Laucala Island resort near Taveuni. It’s billed as the “World’s Most Exclusive Resort”, complete with its own private airport. For more information contact Andrew at andrewthomson47@gmail.com

NOTE: These custom trips are one to two weeks. All journeys start with a personal consultation including itinerary and interests. Price by Quote.

Hawai'i

CUSTOM PRIVATE CHARTER ONLY

One of the World’s first iconic destinations, Hawai’i is “Home” for John Gray. The “Caveman”, played a major part in the planning and management of Hawai’i’s coastlines in his role as a member of the Coastal Resources Committee of Hawai’i’s Marine Master Plan. Five years later, Caveman made “Moloka’i’s Forgotten Frontier” in collaboration with Gary Sprinkle and Mike May. The trio won Hawai’i’s first EMMY award.

Hawai’i is a land of spectacular contrasts, epitomized on the “Big Island” where Keck Observatory – the World’s strongest telescope – sits atop Mauna Kea exploring beyond the edge of our Universe – while Madam Pele spews red molten lave into the sea at the mountain’s base. Kauai’i’s Na Pali coast is one of the World’s most beautiful coastlines, and all islands have spectacular waterfall filled rainforests. Surfing, backpacking, whale watching, awesome photography all make Hawai’i one of the World’s premier adventure destinations.

But it is the “Mana”, the spiritual energy of the “A’ina (land) that truly makes Aloha land so special. Hawai’i’s culture still survives and is now 40 years into its cultural “Renaissance”. The Renaissance, and the “Mana” of Mother Earth’s newest land combines with Hawai’i’s Nature to make these magic islands an absolute “can’t miss” experience.

NOTE: These custom trips are one to two weeks. All journeys start with a personal consultation including itinerary and interests. Price by Quote.